Fabric-measuring and cost-computing machine



D. TURNER. FABRIC MEASURING AND Cos COMPUTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FiLED FEB.19,1920.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

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u TIII D. TURNER. FABRIC -MEASURING AND COST COMPUTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB-19| 1920. 1,386,386. Patented Aug. 2,1921.

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. D. TURNER.

FABRIC MEASURING AND COST COMPUTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED EEB. I9, 1920.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

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UNTEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

DOUGLAS TURNEIL/OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE MASUREGRAPH COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

FABRIC-MEASURING AND COST-COMEU'IING MACHINE.

Application filed February 19, 1920.

To aZZwLo/m t may concern.' Be it known that I, Denotes TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fabric-lileasuring and Cost-Computing Miu chinos, of which the following is a specification. n

This invention relates to a fabric measur ing and cost-computing machine. The type of machine to which the invention. is especially applicable, is used in selling goods at retail, andY comprises in its construction a housing or casing through which a gap or throat is formed. The fabric, in being measured is pulled through this gap, and rotates a measuring roller, the rotation of which is imparted to indicating' mechanism which is exposed to view at' the upper side of the casing or housing. These machines are also provided with a knife or cutter, which notches the edge of the fabric measured off, to indicate the point where the piece must be cut off from the roll or bolt. As heretoforeconstructed, this knife. has been mounted about in alinement with the point where the fabric emerges from the gap, and the computations of the indicating mechanism are made with reference to the plane of movement of the knife as the zero point; in other words, .the forward edge of the fabric before itA is measured, should be lined up with the plane of the knife. This method of alining the fabric to be measured gives an vaccurate result if' the opera-tor is careful to. see to it that theV forward edge Vof the fabric is properly alined, but there is a tendency on the part of some operators to take hold of theI edgeof the fabric in such a way, as it emerges from the gap, that the measurement is begun with a considerable amount ofthe fabric already beyond the alining point. When this occurs, there is a loss of goods by the retailer, because this projecting portion of the fabric is not measured, and therefore, not fpaid for by the purchaser. f

rlhe general object of the present invention is to provide a machine having a construction which will overcome this dii'liculty and prevent this loss to the retailer. In accomplishing this I'provide an alining point on the machine, a considerable distance be- Speeifcation of Letters atent. i

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

sei-iai No. 359,855.

yond the point where the cloth emerges from the gap, and provide means for indicating this alining point in a simple manner. The amount of fabric lying beyond the emerging point from the gap, is siu'licient to enable 'the operator to get a good grasp on the fabric in pulling it. through the machine, and there is therefore, no temptation to pull the forward edge of the fabric farther than necessary pastl the alining point, before the measuring begins. The invention concerns itself especially with the novel features of construction of such a machine which cooperate to accomplish the result referred to above.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

rFhe Vinvention consists in the novel features, and inthe general combination of parts to be particularly described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce a simple and ellicient fabric measuring and cost-computing machine. A preferred embodiment of my machine will be particularly described in the following specification, while the broad scope of my invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the dra ving,

Figure l is a plan of the machine embodying my invention, and illustrating the manner in which lthe fabric is pulled through the machine in making a measurement;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section through the machine, partially broken away, and taken about on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section4 through the machine taken about on the line l-i of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through'the machine taken about on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken about in the plane of the section 4 4, of Fig. 3 but showing the parts in another position; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view further illustrating the general construction of the machine, certain parts being broken away.

The machine includes a casing or housing l, the body 2 of which is of rectangular or box form, the other end 3 Vof the housing being of substantially cylindrical form. The upper face of the machine is provided with an indicating dial 4 for indicating the length of the fabric measured off, and has two windows through which the charts 5 are visible; these charts or webs carry the computations or figures and co-perate with xed scales 6, to indicate the4 charge to be made for the amount of goods indicated at the dial 4.

The fabric 7 is pulled through the ma-v chine in the direction of the arrow (see Fig. 1), that is tol say, the fabric is pulled through a gap 8 vformed Vin a horizontal lplane through the housing of the machine (see Fig. 2). The fabric emerges from this gap in the plane of the line-9, (see Fig. 1 Heretofore, the line 9, or a pointk near it,

' has been used as the alining point at which 20 v jecting portion 10 (see Fig. 1) which operates as a special housing or knife-pocket for agknife 11 which is movably mounted within it. Thegap 8l cuts through the side of the lmife-pocket 10 (see Fig. 2), so that the edge of the fabric may lie in the path ofthe edge of the knife 11 as it descends. It

should V'be explained, in connection with Fig.-1,'that the edge 12 of the fabric 7 will eventually vlie'near the inner end ofthe gap 8 (see Fig. 2v). The fabric is shown in this position to avoid covering parts of the mechanism. t Y

' The knife 11 may be mounted in any suitable manner, for example, upon a pivotshaft 14, the rear end of the knife having al coil spring 15 attached to it, vwhich normally holds the knife in an elevated position (see Fig. 2) as the knife descends, the

'- -blade 16' which it carries coperates with a 5.0

fixed blade 17 which may be attached to the inner face' of the outer wall 18 of the knifepocket 10.

As the fabric 7 is pulled through the gap 8, it rotates a measuring Vroller 19 (see Fig. 4) which'is mounted in the housing below the gap, and when this measuring roller rotates, its 'shaft 20 (see Fig.V 7) rotates a pinion-21which drives a gear-train 22 including'a'gear vwheel 23 k(see Figs.3 and 5) this 'gear wheel23 lies between two gear wheels'24, and meshes with them, so as to rotate twol drums orv take-up rollers 25 and 26 (see Fig. 3), upon which charts 27 Fig. 1 wind; these charts carry the computations or numbers referred to above.

Through suitable driving-mechanism 28, (see Fig. 4) the indicating hands 29 and 30 on the dial 4 are actuated.

In order to hold the fabric against the measuring roller 19, I provide a presserroller 31 V(seeV Fig-6), which'is'mounted toV rotate freely between two-arms 32 Fig. 3

as in F ig, 15 of Patent No. 1,336,230 to W. E. IIosch, deceased, dated April 6, 1920.

AIprovide latching means for normally latching the presser-rollerfaway from the measuring roller. For this purpose, the rock-shaft 33 is provided with another laterally projecting arm 36 (see Figs. 3 and 6). Cooperating with this arm 36, I provide a latch or detent 37, and I provide means substantially in line with the knife for actuating this latching means to release the arm 36, and thereby permit the presser-roller to descend onto the measuring Y roller. The latch 37 may be in the form of a bolt, the outer end of which is 'guided' to slide through a vertical frame plate 38. I Yprovide a controlling member 'for this latch,

and this controlling member Ais preferably guided to move at right anglesto the length of the fabric, or parallel with the presserroller. For this urpose, beyond the frame plate, the latch. 37 is pivotally attached to a lever 39, and the lower end of this lever is attached to the innerend of a stem 40, the outer end of whichcarries a controlling member in the form of a-starting button 41; this stem is guided to slide Vthrough the wall of the knife-pocket, andl through an opening in a guide-bracket42. A spring 43 at- Y tached tothe guide-bracket 42 and to `the stem 40l returns .this starting button to itsl normal position after it has been operated. I provide means for indicating a starting point for aliningV the end of the fabric.` This may be indicatedv by words or marks on the sidel of the starting button.V Y,

I provide automatic'means actuated'V by the depression of the knife 11 for withdrawing the presser-roller from the measuring roller, and this means operates'b'y depressing the arm 36sufiiciently to enable the latch 37 to snap overpthe upper edge of the arm and hold the same depressed. In order to accomplish this, I provide a lever 44 which is pivoted Vat 45 on the frame plate 38, andthe outer end of this lever is actuated in any suitable way from the knife, rfor example, I may connect it'by means of a linkV 46 with an arm 47 rigidly attached to the pivot or shaft 14 of the knife. l

In order to enable the,V knife to be operated, 130

itis provided with a thumb-plate i8 which runs in an arcuate slot Qin the outer wall .1S-of the upper portion of the knife-pocket.

The mode of operation of the machine will new be briefly described.

The fabric 7 which is to be measured, is pulled through the gap 8 in the direction of the arrow, so that its forward edge is about in alinement with the vwall 18 of the knifepocket 10. rlhe starting button l1 is then pressed inward and this withdraws the detent or latch 3T from above arm 36 (see Fig. 6) so as to permit the spring to pull the presserroller down onto the measuring roller. lThe fabric is then pulled through the machine. lVhen the desired Vamount of fabric been measured off, the knife 11 is then depressed so as to notch the edge of the fabric at the point where it is to be cut off from the roll or bolt. T he depression of trie knife in this way operates through a link a6 (see Fig. 6) and lever la to force the arm 36 downwardly, thereby roc ring the rock-shaft 33 so as to lift the presser-roller away from he measuring roller; when the arm 3o is sufficient-ly depressed, the latch 3T snaps over its upper edge and in this way latches the presser-roller in its elevated or withdrawn position. ln connection with the-mode of operation of the latch 37 and the arm 36, it

v should be understood that when the presserroller 31 is in Contact with the measuring roller, the arm 36 will not lie above the lat-ch; for this reason it is unnecessary to bevel the upper face at the end of the latch 37 the end of the latch is simply held against the side face of the arm 3o by the spring 13 until the arm 36 is depressed, at which time the latch simply snaps over its upper edge.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments my invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of my invention nor in my claims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

'What l claim and desire to secure by Letters atent is:

1. In a fabric measuringand cost-computing machine, the combination of a housing having a laterally projecting portion forming a knife pocket, said housing having a gap formed therethrough, through which the fabric may pass in measuring the same, a measuring roller mounted in said housing, indicating mechanism actuated thereby, a presser-roller to cooperate with the measuringroller, and to press the fabric against the same, means for forcing the presser-roller toward the measuring roller, means for latching the presser-roller away from the measuring roller, a knife mounted at said knife-pocket for notching the edge of the fabric, and a controlling member lying adjacent said knife pocket fori actuating the latching roller.

2. In a fabric measuring and cost-computing machine, the combination of a housing having'- a laterally projecting portion forming a knife-pocket, said housing having a gap passing through said knife-pocket, through which the fabric may pass in measuring the same, a measuring roller mounted in said housing, indicating mechanism actuated thereby when the fabric 'is pulled through said gap, a knife mounted in said knife-pocket for notchingthe edge of the fabric, and means for indicating an alining point for the fabric adjacent said knifepocket.

3. in afabric measuring and cost-computing machine, the combination of a housing having a laterally projecting portion forming a knife-pocket, said khousing having a gap passing through said knife-pocket, through which the fabric may pass in measuring the same, a measuring roller mounted in said housing, a presser-roller cooperating with the measuring roller, indicating mechanism actuated by the measuring roller when the fabric is pulled through the gap, a knife mounted in the knife-pocketffor notching the edge of the fabric, a lspring for pulling the presser-roller toward the measuring roller, a latch for holding the presser-roller away from the measuring roller and a starting button substantially in alinenient with the knife, and guided through said knifepocket, and means actuated thereby for releasing the presser-roller from the latch.

e. ln a fabric measuring and cost-computing machine, the combination of a measuring roller, a presser-roller cooperating therewith, a spring tending to pull the presser-roller against the measuring roller, means for latching the presser-roller away from the measuring roller, al controlling member having means thereupon to indicate that the cloth to be measured should be alined with the same, and means actuated by the controlling member for releasing the presser-roller' to permit the same to engage with the measuring roller.

5. ln a fabric measuring and cost-computing machine, the combination of a measuring roller, a presser-roller cooperating therewith, a spring tending to pull the presserroller against the measuring roller, a rockshaft carrying the presser-roller and having an arm, a detent to engage said arm to hold the presser-roller away from the measuring roller, a controlling member located adjacent the alining point for the fabric and guided to move in a direction substantially parallel with the presser-roller, and a connection between said controlling member and said detent for moving the detent to release the presser-roller. l

6. ln a fabric measuring and cost-commeans to release the presserputing machine, the combination of a measuring roller, a movable frame for supporting the presser-roller, a presser-roller carried thereby, a knife for notching the edge ofthe goods and having a pivot, a lever for -engaging the presser-roller frame to move the presser-roller away from the measuring roller, means for connecting said lever with said-pivot to effect the raising of the presser- `r0ller when the knife is operated, a latch for engaging the movable frame to hold the Vsame with the ypresser-roller removed from the measuring roller, and a starting button substantially in alinernent with the knife and having means connecting it with the latch for releasing the presser-roller frame from the latch.

7. In a fabric measuring and cost-comput ing machine, the combination of a housing including a Vlaterally projecting portion forming a knife-pocket, said housing having a gap formed therethrough, through which the fabric may pass in measuring the same, a measuring roller mounted in said housing, a presser-roller cooperating therewith, having a spring for pulling the same toward the measuring roller, a rocking frame carrying the presser-roller and having a projecting arm,a knife in said knife-pocket for notching the edge of the goods, a lever actuated thereby and engaging said arm to move the rocking frame and the presserroller away from the measuring roller, a

spring-pressed latch for engaging saidarm to. latch the presser-roller away from the meas-V 8. In a fabric measuring and cost-computy ing machine, the combination of a housing having a laterally projecting portion form ing a knife-pocket, a fixed blade disposed adjacent to the outer wall of said knife-pocket, said housing having a gap through the same and through the knife pocket, a knife pivotally mounted in said knife pocket, a spring normally holding said knife in its raised position, a blade carried by the knife to co operate with the first named blade,`a meas-V uring roller within said housing, indicating mechanism actuated thereby, a pressereroller cooperating with theV measuring roller, means for latching said presser-roller away from the measuring roller, and a starting button in substantial alinement with said knife and connected with the latching means to releasethe presser-roller. and permit the same to descend onto the measuring roller. j Y

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand.

DoUeLAs TURNER.y 

